Termly SENco Cluster Meetings With SENco Solutions

Are you a SENCo or SEN Leader in your school? Would you like to make links with your SENCo colleagues in order to support one another and share good practise? Then this is the group for you.

Aims of the group

An opportunity to meet regularly with your SEN colleagues in a structured but informal way
A group led by SENCos and guided by your own needs rather than the Local Authority
An opportunity to share good practise and tap into each other’s strengths, knowledge and expertise
Time to reflect and share worries and concerns in a positive and constructive way
A chance to keep informed about local and national initiatives

Format of the group

Termly meetings for 3 hours during an afternoon
Led by a practising SENCo and SEN Consultant
A clear focus to each meeting with topics chosen by the group
Sharing of tools and systems
Visits from Outside Agencies to keep SENCos up to date and the opportunity for Q&A
Refreshments provided

Chair of the group

The group will be led by Denise Parker, an experienced SENCo and SEN Consultant (SENCoSolutions). Denise has been leading a large SENCo cluster group in South Lincolnshire for 8 years which has over 30 members. Denise set up and leads the group which meets between 3 and 6 times each year. The group is a huge success because it is so supportive and self-driven. The group decides its own agendas and focus and for new SENCos it is a lifeline.

PLP News

"I feel that this session has helped me to understand and hopefully better support children with attachment difficulties. It is an area that really interests me and when presented by someone with the knowledge and passion that Steve Russell obviously has, it made for a great morning."

Learning Mentor, Werrington Primary School, January 2018

"This was an excellent session."

Learning Mentor, Ravensthorpe Primary, January 2018

"A really helpful opportunity to look at Y6 division in particular, assessing links between topics, looking at different test questions and time (which you can never have enough of!) to read useful articles.
Mathematics in Year 6"

Tom Ormston, Glapthorn Primary School, January 2018

"There is no doubt that division is a challenge for many children. Using the ideas from the session will enable me to lead my staff in developing their teaching to maximise learning in this area. Thank you for your input - I'm looking forward to the next one!
Mathematics in Year 6"

Headteacher, Uffington Primary, January 2018

"The session was enjoyable and relevant to what I needed to do within my own practice currently. The resources given were of extremely high quality and the delivery of the training itself was great. As my school already uses POR as a scheme, this will further help my practice and help me to secure the strategies used.
Power of Reading 2017-18"

Lauren Marks, Mellers Primary School, Nottingham, November 2017

"Any staff who have attended training delivered through PLP always evaluate it as Good or better. As a school, we subscribe to PLP as our main provider of CPD, as we know that we will get the most up to date information and high-quality resources – relevant and specific to our needs.
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Kay Corley, Headteacher of William De Yaxley Primary Academy

"“Four of our children recently attended a PLP Maths workshop at a neighbouring school to help boost collaboration and reasoning for some of our more able pupils. They returned with positive feedback and confidence.”
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Martin Fry, Headteacher of Ravensthorpe Primary School

"“Two of our teachers have accessed the NQT+1 course and have found it really beneficial in terms of networking with others. Our SENCO accessed the Anita Devi course and found this invaluable; she came straight back to school and used some of the training in the twilight session on individual learning pathways the very same day! Our Deputy is also finding the NPQSL course very insightful and has linked her project to our Ofsted target of developing subject leadership.”
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Becky Waters, Headteacher of Dogsthorpe Infants School

"“Two of our teachers went on PLP training from Chris Quigley. This has led to us adopting the Learning Lenses approach. This has really helped with supporting teachers on understanding how to improve their practice, and therefore how to improve learning.”
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Sally Williams, Headteacher of Stanground St John’s Primary School

"“The NQT courses have been incredibly valuable and informative. Not only have they offered me practical approaches to teaching and learning within the classroom, but have been a fantastic opportunity to meet with other NQTs who are going through similar experiences. I have implemented strategies and approaches from these welcoming courses, enabling me to progress in my own teaching and learning.”
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Emily Wilson, Southfields Primary School

"“My Deputy Head recently attended a PLP session on how to create a Nurturing School (which is now to become a priority on our School Development Plan) and we have also worked with Potential Plus to support teachers and TAs who work with more able pupils.”
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Martin Fry, Headteacher of Ravensthorpe Primary School

"PLP still organise the most convenient training available in the local area"

Orton Wistow Primary School, Peterborough

""High-quality events like those run by PLP are key. For example, they hosted an event with a leading Ofsted inspector so it was useful to hear things from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. At the same we are developing our NQTs through PLP.""

Bill Lord, Headteacher, Long Sutton Community Primary School

""A round trip to Lincoln from Stamford can mean teachers are out for a whole day. Peterborough is much nearer and the PLP events we have done have been good quality and teachers have provided good feedback""

Tristan Revell, Principal, Malcolm Sargent Primary School

""We have used PLP to provide support for NQT, middle and senior leaders. The trainers are of a good quality and the impact on classroom practice is evident. Outcomes for children have improved significantly over the last two years.""

Cathy Carlisle, Headteacher, Alderman Jacobs Primary School

"CPD is very much a driver to support staff retention here. On the whole, our staff are young and it is important that we give them the opportunity to extend their knowledge and professional development, which they are happy to take up."

"I became a NQT in 2015 ... I began my CPD immediately, and did six sessions with Peterborough Learning Partnership including ‘The Outstanding Lesson’ and ‘The Skilled Practitioner’, together with some other sessions run by the local authority on literacy and numeracy. CPD has had a huge impact on my career so far. I am massively appreciative of the development I’ve had."

Kirsty Bedford; Year Two Teacher at Hampton Vale Primary School in Peterborough

"CPD ... absolutely vital in terms of school improvement"

Joanna Cook, Headteacher at Paston Ridings Primary School

"We have really focused on, and invested in, CPD because we recognise it’s a critical component of teacher retention and succession planning."

"We invest quite extensively in CPD because the main way to improve teaching standards is through improving the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom. The quality of staff and their subject expertise are major factors in their effectiveness; the designation of a school – whether you are an academy or not for example – is not a significant factor in my opinion"

Iain Erskine; Principal at Fulbridge Academy, Peterborough

"I’ve used Peterborough Learning Partnership (PLP) where they have organised courses from a whole school approach. The initiatives have always been a fresh way to manage roles within teaching, such as how to support the children who become ‘stuck’ in their learning."

Nicola Kinsey is EYFS Team Leader at The Beeches Primary School in Peterborough

"There is absolutely a correlation between our investment in CPD and the school’s performance. We were ‘requires improvement’ two years only but are now ‘good, with some outstanding features’. Investing in our staff and working alongside other schools as part of a wider federation of schools has had a huge impact."

Jan Grimble, Head of School at Spalding Primary School

"As a school, we achieved an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating in May 2015. If our staff had not undertaken CPD we would have had a much harder job to get there. It has therefore been a fundamental aspect of our path to get where we are today"

Andy Lyons, Headteacher at Hampton Hargate Primary School.

"CPD has definitely impacted on the quality of teaching and learning. When I arrived 22% was good or outstanding. Now we can say securely we are at least 72%."

"Peterborough Learning Partnership (PLP) initiatives have had a very large impact on me. Whether or not I’ve been able to attend the courses and events available to me, the very fact that there is a bank of ideas and knowledge available to all schools in one place is extremely useful.
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Catherine Rizzo; Assistant Headteacher at Southfields Primary School in Peterborough

"...over the years, the wealth of opportunities afforded by PLP has given me a much bigger picture of the various aspects of the teaching profession. Alongside this, there are several links to other organisations on the PLP website that I’ve previously accessed which have developed my knowledge and understanding of the profession."

Catherine Rizzo; Assistant Headteacher at Southfields Primary School in Peterborough

"PLP is able to access trainers and organisations on a national scale – that is their biggest value. They bring well-established names to the table as well as wider contacts, for example SENDCo and school improvement partners."

Christopher Bennet, Headteacher, St Peter’s School

"We have accessed a variety of CPD opportunities through PLP, and the opportunities it brings to network with peers is extremely valuable. It’s important we don’t become too inward-looking in our approach and such networking really helps."

Lorraine White, Headteacher, Watergall Primary School

"
PLP is an excellent local provider, and in our experience delivers good value for money on training given its reasonable costs. We have recently put staff through NQT mentoring and NPQML training and have been pleased on all fronts.
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Andy Lyons, Headteacher, Hampton Hargate Primary School

"We have used PLP to provide support for NQT, middle and senior leaders. The trainers are of a good quality and the impact on classroom practice is evident. Outcomes for children have improved significantly over the last two years."

Cathy Carlisle, Headteacher, Alderman Jacobs Primary School

"A round trip to Lincoln from Stamford can mean teachers are out for a whole day. Peterborough is much nearer and the PLP events we have done have been good quality and teachers have provided good feedback"

Tristan Revell, Principal, Malcolm Sarge

"PLP get more exciting, up to date, speakers. I get bombarded with emails from training providers based in London or Manchester but I just delete them. When you have good courses here, as we do with PLP, why look elsewhere?"

Jan Grimble, Head of School, Spalding Primary School

"We have found PLP to be especially useful in supporting leadership development – if training fits the school development plan it tends to be funded"

Kathy Fountain, Headteacher, Middleton Primary School

"High-quality events like those run by PLP are key. For example, they hosted an event with a leading Ofsted inspector so it was useful to hear things from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. At the same we are developing our NQTs through PLP."